# List of female state secretaries of state in the United States

The following is a list of female secretaries of state of states and territories in the United States.
Besides those states which do not have separate offices for secretary of state, the states of Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota and South Carolina have never had an appointed nor elected female secretary of state.

## List of female state secretaries of state

| Officeholder | State | Party | Assumed office | Term expires |
| Soledad C. Chacon | New Mexico | Democratic | 1923 | 1926 |
| Emma Guy Cromwell | Kentucky | Democratic | 1924 | 1928 |
| Fannie S. Herrington | Delaware | Republican | 1925 | 1926 |
| Emma Grigsby Meharg | Texas | Republican | 1925 | 1927 |
| Florence E. S. Knapp | New York | Republican | January 1, 1925 | December 31, 1927 |
| Gladys Pyle | South Dakota | Republican | 1927 | 1931 |
| Jennie Fortune | New Mexico | Democratic | 1927 | 1928 |
| Jane Y. McCallum | Texas | Republican | 1927 | 1933 |
| Ella Lewis | Kentucky | Democratic | 1928 | 1932 |
| E. A. Perrault | New Mexico | Republican | 1929 | 1930 |
| Alice Lee Grosjean | Louisiana | Democratic | 1930 | 1932 |
| Elizabeth Coyne | South Dakota | Republican | 1931 | 1933 |
| Marguerite P. Baca | New Mexico | Democratic | 1931 | 1934 |
| Sara W. Mahan | Kentucky | Democratic | 1932 | 1936 |
| Myrtle Morrison | South Dakota | Democratic | 1933 | 1937 |
| Ola Babcock Miller | Iowa | Democratic | 1933 | 1937 |
| Elizabeth F. Gonzales | New Mexico | Democratic | 1935 | 1938 |
| Goldie Wells | South Dakota | Democratic | 1937 | 1939 |
| Belle Reeves | Washington | Democratic | 1938 | 1948 |
| Sara Crawford | Connecticut | Republican | 1939 | 1941 |
| Jessie M. Gonzales | New Mexico | Democratic | 1939 | 1942 |
| Olive A. Ringsrud | South Dakota | Republican | 1939 | 1943 |
| Sophia O'Hara | Pennsylvania | Republican | 1939 | 1943 |
| Chase G. Woodhouse | Connecticut | Democratic | 1941 | 1943 |
| Frances B. Redick | Connecticut | Republican | 1943 | 1945 |
| Cecilia T. Cleveland | New Mexico | Democratic | 1943 | 1946 |
| Mrs. L. M. Larsen | South Dakota | Republican | 1943 | 1947 |
| Mary Hart Carr | Tennessee | Democratic | 1944 | 1945 |
| Sibyl Pool | Alabama | Democratic | 1944 | 1951 |
| Katherine Manton | Oklahoma | Democratic | 1946 | 1947 |
| Helen E. Burbank | Vermont | Republican | 1947 | 1949 |
| Frances B. Redick | Connecticut | Republican | 1947 | 1949 |
| Alicia Valdez Romero | New Mexico | Democratic | 1947 | 1950 |
| Annamae Riff | South Dakota | Republican | 1947 | 1951 |
| Thelma Y. Gordon | Virginia | Democratic | 1948 | 1952 |
| Winifred McDonald | Connecticut | Democratic | 1949 | 1951 |
| Vivian V. Simpson | Maryland | Democratic | 1949 | 1951 |
| Alice K. Leopold | Connecticut | Republican | 1951 | 1953 |
| Beatrice Roach Gottlieb | New Mexico | Democratic | 1951 | 1954 |
| Agnes Baggett | Alabama | Democratic | 1951 | 1955 |
| Geraldine Ostroot | South Dakota | Republican | 1951 | 1957 |
| Virginia Paul Holm | Minnesota | Republican | 1952 | 1925 |
| Martha Bell Conway | Virginia | Democratic | 1952 | 1970 |
| Glenn M. Wise | Wisconsin | Republican | 1955 | 1957 |
| Natalie Smith Buck | New Mexico | Democratic | 1955 | 1958 |
| Mary Texas Hurt Garner | Alabama | Democratic | 1955 | 1959 |
| Mildred P. Allen | Connecticut | Republican | 1955 | 1959 |
| Thelma Stovall | Kentucky | Democratic | 1956 | 1960 |
| Helen F. Holt | West Virginia | Republican | 1957 | 1958 |
| Clara Halls | South Dakota | Republican | 1957 | 1959 |
| Selma Sandless | South Dakota | Democratic | 1959 | 1961 |
| Betty Fiorina | New Mexico | Democratic | 1959 | 1962 |
| Bettye Frink | Alabama | Democratic | 1959 | 1963 |
| Caroline K. Simon | New York | Republican | January 1, 1959 | August 22, 1963 |
| Ella T. Grasso | Connecticut | Democratic | 1959 | 1971 |
| Nancy Hall | Arkansas | Democratic | 1961 | 1963 |
| Essie Wiedenman | South Dakota | Republican | 1961 | 1965 |
| Alberta Miller | New Mexico | Democratic | 1963 | 1966 |
| Agnes Baggett | Alabama | Democratic | 1963 | 1967 |
| Thyra Thomson | Wyoming | Republican | January 1963 | January 1987 |
| Thelma Stovall | Kentucky | Democratic | 1964 | 1968 |
| Alma Larson | South Dakota | Republican | 1965 | 1973 |
| Elwill M. Shanahan | Kansas | Republican | 1966 | 1978 |
| Ernestine Durán Evans | New Mexico | Democratic | 1967 | 1970 |
| Mabel Sanders Amos | Alabama | Democratic | 1967 | 1975 |
| Leila Feltner Begley | Kentucky | Republican | 1970 | 1971 |
| Cynthia Newman | Virginia | Republican | 1970 | 1974 |
| Betty Fiorina | New Mexico | Democratic | 1971 | 1974 |
| C. Delores Tucker | Pennsylvania | Democratic | 1971 | 1977 |
| Gloria Schaffer | Connecticut | Democratic | 1971 | 1978 |
| Thelma Stovall | Kentucky | Democratic | 1972 | 1976 |
| Lorna B. Herseth | South Dakota | Democratic | 1973 | 1979 |
| Dorothy Glisson | Florida | Democratic | 1974 | 1975 |
| Patricia R. Perkinson | Virginia | Republican | 1974 | 1978 |
| Mary Estill Buchanan | Colorado | Republican | 1974 | 1983 |
| Ernestine Durán Evans | New Mexico | Democratic | 1975 | 1978 |
| Agnes Baggett | Alabama | Democratic | 1975 | 1979 |
| March Fong Eu | California | Democratic | January 6, 1975 | May 7, 1994 |
| Joan Growe | Minnesota | Democratic (DFL) | 1975 | 1999 |
| Norma Paulus | Oregon | Republican | January 3, 1977 | January 7, 1985 |
| Rose Mofford | Arizona | Democratic | October 20, 1977 | April 5, 1988 |
| Ethel D. Allen | Pennsylvania | Republican | 1979 | 1979 |
| Shirley Hooper | New Mexico | Democratic | 1979 | 1982 |
| Alice Kundert | South Dakota | Republican | 1979 | 1986 |
| Jeannette Edmondson | Oklahoma | Democratic | 1979 | 1987 |
| Vel Phillips | Wisconsin | Democratic | January 3, 1979 | May 3, 1983 |
| Barbara Kennelly | Connecticut | Democratic | 1979 | 1982 |
| Frances Jones Mills | Kentucky | Democratic | 1980 | 1984 |
| Mary Jane Odell | Iowa | Republican | 1980 | 1987 |
| Marilyn Lussen (acting) | Virginia | Republican | 1981 | 1982 |
| Laurie Naismith | Virginia | Democratic | 1982 | 1985 |
| Maura L. Melley | Connecticut | Democratic | 1982 | 1983 |
| Patricia G. Holtz | Maryland | Democratic | 1982 | 1983 |
| Jane Burgio | New Jersey | Republican | 1982 | 1990 |
| Clara Padilla Jones | New Mexico | Democratic | 1983 | 1986 |
| Susan Farmer | Rhode Island | Republican | 1983 | 1987 |
| Lorraine M. Sheehan | Maryland | Democratic | 1983 | 1987 |
| Julia Tashjian | Connecticut | Democratic | 1983 | 1991 |
| Gail S. Shaffer | New York | Democratic | January 1, 1983 | January 4, 1995 |
| Natalie Meyer | Colorado | Republican | 1983 | 1995 |
| Myra McDaniel | Texas | Republican | 1984 | 1987 |
| Barbara Roberts | Oregon | Democratic | January 7, 1985 | January 14, 1991 |
| Sandra Bowen | Virginia | Democratic | 1986 | 1990 |
| Joyce Hazeltine | South Dakota | Republican | 1986 | 2003 |
| Rebecca Vigil-Giron | New Mexico | Democratic | 1987 | 1990 |
| Hannah D. Atkins | Oklahoma | Democratic | 1987 | 1991 |
| Kathleen S. Connell | Rhode Island | Democratic | 1987 | 1993 |
| Elaine Baxter | Iowa | Democratic | 1987 | 1995 |
| Kathy Karpan | Wyoming | Democratic | January 1987 | January 1995 |
| Frankie Sue Del Papa | Nevada | Democratic | 1987 | 1991 |
| Joan Haberle | New Jersey | Democratic | 1990 | 1992 |
| Pamela M. Womack | Virginia | Democratic | 1990 | 1993 |
| Pauline R. Kezer | Connecticut | Republican | 1991 | 1995 |
| Cheryl Lau | Nevada | Republican | 1991 | 1995 |
| Stephanie Gonzales | New Mexico | Democratic | 1991 | 1998 |
| Brenda K. Mitchell | Pennsylvania | Democratic | 1992 | 1994 |
| Ruby Grant Martin | Virginia | Democratic | 1993 | 1994 |
| Judith Moriarty | Missouri | Democratic | 1993 | 1994 |
| Barbara Leonard | Rhode Island | Republican | 1993 | 1995 |
| Betsy Davis Beamer | Virginia | Republican | 1994 | 1998 |
| Glo Henley | Oklahoma | Democratic | 1994 | 1995 |
| Lonna Hooks | New Jersey | Republican | 1994 | 1998 |
| Rebecca McDowell Cook | Missouri | Democratic | 1994 | 2001 |
| Sue Anne Gilroy | Indiana | Republican | 1994 | 2002 |
| Yvette Kane | Pennsylvania | Democratic | 1995 | 1998 |
| Victoria Buckley | Colorado | Republican | 1995 | 1999 |
| Sandra Mortham | Florida | Republican | 1995 | 1999 |
| Diana J. Ohman | Wyoming | Republican | January 1995 | January 1999 |
| Jane Dee Hull | Arizona | Republican | January 3, 1995 | September 5, 1997 |
| Sharon M. Priest | Arkansas | Democratic | 1995 | 2003 |
| Janice H. Faulkner | North Carolina | Democratic | 1996 | 1997 |
| Elaine Marshall | North Carolina | Democratic | January 3, 1997 | |
| Betsey Bayless | Arizona | Republican | September 5, 1997 | January 6, 2003 |
| Carol Cronheim (Acting) | New Jersey | Republican | 1998 | 1999 |
| Anne Petera | Virginia | Republican | 1998 | 2002 |
| Katherine Harris | Florida | Republican | 1999 | 2002 |
| Kim Pizzingrilli | Pennsylvania | Republican | 1999 | 2002 |
| Donetta Davidson | Colorado | Republican | 1999 | 2005 |
| Rebecca Vigil-Giron | New Mexico | Democratic | 1999 | 2006 |
| Cathy Cox | Georgia | Democratic | 1999 | 2007 |
| Mary Kiffmeyer | Minnesota | Republican | 1997 | 2007 |
| Deborah Markowitz | Vermont | Democratic | 1999 | 2011 |
| Susan Bysiewicz | Connecticut | Democratic | 1999 | 2011 |
| Harriet Smith Windsor | Delaware | Democratic | 2001 | 2009 |
| Kay Dudley | Oklahoma | Republican | 2002 | 2003 |
| Gwyn Shea | Texas | Republican | 2002 | 2003 |
| Anita Rimler | Virginia | Democratic | 2002 | 2006 |
| Regena Thomas | New Jersey | Democratic | 2002 | 2006 |
| Glenda Hood | Florida | Republican | 2003 | 2005 |
| Nancy Worley | Alabama | Democratic | 2003 | 2007 |
| Jan Brewer | Arizona | Republican | January 6, 2003 | January 21, 2009 |
| M. Susan Savage | Oklahoma | Democratic | 2003 | 2011 |
| Cathy Mitchell | California (acting) | Democratic | 2005 | 2005 |
| Sue M. Cobb | Florida | Republican | 2005 | 2007 |
| Gigi Dennis | Colorado | Republican | 2005 | 2007 |
| Mary D. Kane | Maryland | Republican | 2005 | 2007 |
| Betty Ireland | West Virginia | Republican | 2005 | 2009 |
| Robin Carnahan | Missouri | Democratic | 2005 | 2013 |
| Katherine Hanley | Virginia | Democratic | 2006 | 2010 |
| Nina Mitchell Wells | New Jersey | Democratic | 2006 | 2010 |
| Karen Handel | Georgia | Republican | 1999 | 2007 |
| Esperanza Andrade | Texas | Republican | 2008 | 2012 |
| Mary Herrera | New Mexico | Democratic | 2007 | 2010 |
| Jennifer Brunner | Ohio | Democratic | January 8, 2007 | January 10, 2011 |
| Beth Chapman | Alabama | Republican | 2007 | 2013 |
| Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez | New York | Democratic | January 1, 2007 | September 1, 2010 |
| Debra Bowen | California | Democratic | January 8, 2007 | January 4, 2015 |
| Kate Brown | Oregon | Democratic | January 5, 2009 | February 18, 2015 |
| Linda McCulloch | Montana | Democratic | 2009 | 2017 |
| Natalie Tennant | West Virginia | Democratic | 2009 | 2017 |
| Dawn K. Roberts Interim | Florida | Republican | 2010 | 2011 |
| Ruth Noemí Colón | New York | Democratic | September 1, 2010 | May 2, 2011 |
| Janet Vestal Kelly | Virginia | Republican | 2010 | 2014 |
| Kim Guadagno | New Jersey | Republican | 2010 | 2018 |
| Jennifer Kennedy Interim | Florida | Republican | 2011 | 2011 |
| Denise Merrill | Connecticut | Democratic | January 5, 2011 | June 30, 2022 |
| Elaine Waler | Kentucky | Democratic | 2011 | 2012 |
| Carol Aichele | Pennsylvania | Republican | 2011 | 2015 |
| Dianna Duran | New Mexico | Republican | 2011 | 2015 |
| Alison Grimes | Kentucky | Democratic | January 2, 2012 | 2020 |
| Connie Lawson | Indiana | Republican | March 16, 2012 | March 16, 2021 |
| Michelle Day (Interim) | Oklahoma | Republican | 2013 | 2013 |
| Kim Wyman | Washington | Republican | January 16, 2013 | November 19, 2021 |
| Nandita Berry | Texas | Republican | 2014 | 2015 |
| Mary Quintana | New Mexico (Acting) | | 2015 | 2015 |
| Barbara Cegavske | Nevada | Republican | January 5, 2015 | 2023 |
| Shantel Krebs | South Dakota | Republican | 2015 | 2019 |
| Michele Reagan | Arizona | Republican | January 5, 2015 | January 7, 2019 |
| Jeanne Atkins | Oregon | Democratic | March 11, 2015 | January 2, 2017 |
| Karen Wheeler | Wyoming (Acting) | Republican | 2018 | 2018 |
| Kathy Boockvar Acting | Pennsylvania | Democratic | January 5, 2019 | 2021 |
| Nellie Gorbea | Rhode Island | Democratic | January 6, 2015 | 2023 |
| Rossana Rosado | New York | Democratic | February 22, 2016 | 2021 |
| Kelly Thomasson | Virginia | Democratic | April 15, 2016 | January 15, 2022 |
| Maggie Toulouse Oliver | New Mexico | Democratic | December 9, 2016 | |
| Robyn Crittenden | Georgia | Republican | 2018 | 2019 |
| Tahesha Way | New Jersey | Democratic | January 16, 2018 |
| Jennifer Kennedy Interim | Florida | Republican | 2019 | 2019 |
| Jocelyn Benson | Michigan | Democratic | January 1, 2019 | |
| Katie Hobbs | Arizona | Democratic | January 7, 2019 | January 2, 2023 |
| Jena Griswold | Colorado | Democratic | January 8, 2019 | |
| Ruth R. Hughs | Texas | Republican | 2019 | 2021 |
| Laurel Lee | Florida | Republican | January 28, 2019 | May 16, 2022 |
| Leslie Cummings Acting | Oregon | Republican | February 26, 2019 | March 31, 2019 |
| Bev Clarno | Oregon | Republican | March 31, 2019 | January 4, 2021 |
| Holli Sullivan | Indiana | Republican | 2021 | 2022 |
| Christi Jacobsen | Montana | Republican | 2021 | |
| Shirley Weber | California | Democratic | 2021 | |
| Shenna Bellows | Maine | Democratic | 2021 | |
| Veronica Degraffenreid (acting) | Pennsylvania | Democratic | 2021 | 2022 |
| Shemia Fagan | Oregon | Democratic | 2021 | 2023 |
| Kay Coles James | Virginia | Republican | 2022 | 2023 |
| Monae Johnson | South Dakota | Republican | 2022 | |
| Leigh M. Chapman (acting) | Pennsylvania | Democratic | 2022 | 2023 |
| Jane Nelson | Texas | Republican | 2023 | |
| Sarah Copeland-Hanzas | Vermont | Democratic | 2023 | |
| Sarah Godlewski | Wisconsin | Democratic | 2023 | |
| LaVonne Griffin-Valade | Oregon | Democratic | 2023 | |
| Cheryl Myers (Acting) | Oregon | Democratic | 2023 | 2023 |
| Kelly Gee | Virginia | Republican | September 1, 2023 | 2026 |
| Nancy Landry | Louisiana | Republican | January 8, 2024 | 2028 |

## List of female lieutenant governors

Certain states do not have a secretary of state; instead the lieutenant governor is responsible for those duties.
| Officeholder | State | Party | Assumed office | Term expires |
| Jean King | Hawaii | Democratic | December 2, 1978 | December 2, 1982 |
| Olene Walker | Utah | Republican | January 4, 1993 | November 5, 2003 |
| Mazie Hirono | Hawaii | Democratic | December 2, 1994 | December 2, 2002 |
| Fran Ulmer | Alaska | Democratic | December 5, 1994 | December 2, 2002 |
| Valerie Davidson | Alaska | Independent | October 16, 2018 | December 3, 2018 |
| Deidre Henderson | Utah | Republican | 2021 | |
| Nancy Dahlstrom | Alaska | Republican | 2022 | |
| Sylvia Luke | Hawaii | Democratic | 2023 | |

## Female territorial secretaries of state

| Officeholder | Territory | Party | Assumed office | Term expires |
| Lauren Vaughan | District of Columbia | Democratic | January 2, 2015 | December 11, 2018 |